Improvement in ice-cutters



C. FINGAR. Ice-Cutters.

NOLQZ. v Patentedjune9,1874.

Uran Sra'rns CHARLES FINGAR, OF HUDSON, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN ICE-CUTTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 151,692, dated June 9, 1874;- application tiled February 23, 1874.

To all 'whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, (SHARLns FINGAR, of the city of Hudson, in the State of New York, have invented an Ice Cutting Machine, of which the following is a specification:

The object of my invention is to cut ice rap idly for storing by means of a circular saw supported on an adjustable frame attached to a sleigh which carries its own and the saws motive power. It is simple in construction and can, therefore, be fully illustrated by one drawing.

Figure l is a perspective view of my invention. It shows the mechanism employed for driving and adjusting the saw.

The steam-boiler and engine generally used is one known as the Baxter steam-engine,77 (see Fig. 2,) the machinery of which is placed on the top of the boiler. rIhe whole is placed on the strip A in the position of the frame or supports H II, crank-shaft S, and pulley B. This engine, or some other equivalent motive power, is employed to propel the saw O, the windlass G, and the sleigh A. The windlass or shaft and drum G are at the front end of the sleigh, and 011 it the rope I is wound up, being attached at its opposite end to a stake or bar inserted in the ice at the margin or end of the field it is designed to cut. The belt k extends from the driving-pulley B to the pulley F on the saw-shaft m, by which the saw O at the rear end of the sleigh is operated. Another belt extends from the pulley on the opposite end of the shaft S down to the drumshaft, and operates the drinn G. rIhe sawshaft on, together with the saw C and pulley F, is supported by and raised and lowered with the frame D by means of the lever E, having its fulcruin at j'. This is for adjusting the saw to cut as deep or as shallow as required. It is never desirable to cut through the ice. Two-thirds of its thickness is as deep as necessaryto cut. It is then cracked or wedged off or apart in the line of the saw-cut. g isa curved handle attached to the rear end ofthe sleigh, by which the operator regulates 'and guides it so far as necessary. Vith it he swings the machine aroundjto change its direction. The spring-stake h, which bears against the lever E, is provided with shoulders or catches to keep the lever in place, and thus prevent the frame D from rising up when not required, keeping the saw C in position. The side bars of frame D are slotted, and slide up and down on bolts or pins in the rear ends of the runners, being provided with nuts and washers outside. rlwo such levers as E, one on each side of the sleigh, attached to each sideor upper corner of the frame D, and united in the rear so as to form one handle, would probably operate the frame more evenly-that is, raise and lower it more steadily. Provision is made for taking up the slack of or tightening the driving-belt It. The rope I is attached to a stake or iron bar inserted in the ice at a distance from the field of operation, generally at oi near its margin, and passing around the drum G is wound upon it, thus drawing the sleigh and its attachments forward as fast as required until it reaches the stake or margin of the iield to be cut. The sleigh is then quickly run back and the operation repeated, or it is swung around and another rope from a stake onthe opposite side of the field is attachedto the drum, and thus it is drawn back, and so on, alternately repeatiiig the operation, the stakes being moved laterally the width it is desired to cut each course, but another and preferable mode of operating or moving the sleigh is to have a stake set at each end of the field, with a short piece of rope attached having a hook at the end, which is hooked into an eye or a link at the end ofthe rope on the drinn G. lliis latter is independent of the end ropes, and has such lilik at each end, being fastened to the drum in the middle, eacli half being of suiiicient length to reach the length ofthe field.

rlhe saw C is represented in Fig. 1 as in the ice. By extending or lengtheiiiii g the shaft m two or more saws may be worked on it at the same time, placing them outside the runners, in which case a false runner is placed under the outer end of the shaft to support it, the runner itself being connected by suitable braces to the sleigh A. An adjustable guide or gage is attached to one of these, or to a separate brace, by which to regulate the width of the cut, and to keep the width uniform. The sawshaft frame D I have contemplated making to move upward and downward in the are of a circle, whose radius is always the same length from the driving-shaft S, instead of employ 2. The windlass G, provided with the rope ing a belt-tightener to compensate the slack; I, in combination With a pulley on the drivin gor the belt k may be made elastic and answer shaft S of a steam-engine located on sleigh A,

the same purpose. substantially in the manner and for the purlVhat I claim as my invention ispore herein described. l. rlhe vertically-adjustable frame or gate D, shaft m, pulley F, and circular saw C, in

combination with the driving-pulley B of a v steam-engine, all arranged on the sleigh A, Vitnesses:

and operated substantiallyinthe manner and POLHEMIS VAN WYCK,

for the purposes herein set forth. SHERMAN VAN NESS.

CHAS. FINGAR. 

